Outdoors Briefs

A snowshoe hike with John Martin will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday. For the destination and description, call Martin at 247-2581 or email martin@mydurango.net.

“Snowshoeing 101 for Beginners” will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Twin Buttes trailhead. For more information, call Dell Manners at 385-0533 or email dmanners@sisna.com.

A snowshoe and cross-country ski hike from Gladstone Mine north of Silverton to Storm Peak Basin will take place at 9 a.m. Sunday. For more information, call Rich Butler at 403-3185 or email rbbutler54@gmail.com.

The weekly Downhill Skiing Groups will meet Monday, Wednesday and Jan. 18 at Durango Mountain Resort. For more information, call Bruce Rodman at 385-7899 or Jim Shadid at 884-4612.

The Wednesday Wanderers will hike along the Animas River Trail at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. For more information, call Eric Pahlke at 247-1130

A Burnt Timber snowshoe will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday north of Lemon Reservoir. For more information, call Rich Butler at 403-3185 or email rbbutler54@gmail.com.

A cross-country ski trip to the Grand Mesa will leave at 7 a.m. Jan. 18 and return Jan. 23. The trip will involve a two-night stay in Cedaredge. For more information, contact Charlie Berglund at 247-9747 or chasberglund@msn.com, call Lynn Coburn at 247-0914 or email harrisoncoburn@gmail.com.

DMR to host locals day Sunday

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort will host a Locals Benefit Day on Sunday.

Proceeds will benefit Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Partners, which provides AmeriCorps members, tools, training and resources to support youth-serving organizations in the five-county area of Southwest Colorado.

Discounted lift tickets will be $40 for adults, $32 for students and seniors, and $25 for children. Ticket purchasers must present a Locals Benefit Day coupon, available at www.rsapp.org or in the Durango Telegraph.

Nordic Center to host races, clinic

The Coke race series will continue with a “disco” theme Saturday at the Nordic Center at Purgatory with skate ski races and a fat-tire bike race.

Prizes will be awarded for best costume as well as for fastest times.

Adults will ski 10 kilometers, and juniors will race shorter distances. The bike race also will be a 10K.

Cost is $15 for adults and $7 for juniors with registration starting at 9 a.m. and the races at 10 a.m.

On Sunday, the Nordic Center will conduct a skate ski clinic at 1 p.m. with classes for skiers of all ability levels. Cost of the clinic is $15 for season pass holders or $25 for other skiers. Rental skis are available at the Nordic Center.

The Nordic Center is across U.S. Highway 550 from Durango Mountain Resort.

For more information or to sign up for the clinic, call 385-2114.

Winter nature tour to be held Jan. 19

San Juan Mountains Association will host a winter nature tour called “Conifers Coexist at Cascade Creek” on Jan. 19.

People of all ages are invited to go snowshoeing with certified interpretive guide MK Thompson. Participants will explore the variety of evergreen trees in the Cascade area along with other winter ecology wonders.

Natural History Snowshoe Workshops will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through January at Haviland Lake. The cost is $5 for members, and $10 for nonmembers. Snowshoe rental will be available for $3.

A Bird Walk will take place from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at For the Birds, 1560 East Second Ave. The walks will take place along the Animas River Trail.

The first four-week session of the after-school nature clubs for kindergarten to second-graders will begin at Park and Florida Mesa elementary schools on Monday and at the other Durango-area schools Jan. 22. The theme will be “Polar Explorers.”